How to grow lavender at home in a pot: what you need to know for this? Lavender - cultivation and care, use in traditional medicine

Many growers consider lavender a real treasure. Growing it is a pleasure, and the aroma that hovers in the garden enchants from the first minutes. In addition, the flower is widely used in home cosmetology. Lavender from seeds room conditions grows just as well as open field. What features of its cultivation do you need to know?

Brief description of culture

Lavender - unique fragrant plant that can be grown at home

The plant is an evergreen shrub with a spherical crown, which is formed from branches. Lavender belongs to the mint family. Its homeland is the southern part of Europe, the territory of eastern and northern Africa, the Canary Islands and India. The height of the culture varies from 30 centimeters to 2 meters, depending on the species. Inflorescences resemble a faltering spikelet. Petals can have a variety of colors. There is lavender with blue, lilac, burgundy, lilac, dark purple, pink and white flowers. The leaves are linear with curved ends. The root consists of many branches that can go deep into the soil by 4 meters.

Today, 25 species of this culture are known. For home growing fit the following:

Lavender angustifolia. The plant has grey-green narrow leaves and long inflorescences of white, blue, pink or purple color, is resistant to low temperatures. Flowering begins in June and ends in July.
Lavender broadleaf. The culture got its name due to the shape of the leaves. Flowers can be pink, lilac, purple or burgundy. This species does not belong to frost-resistant plants. The flowering period lasts from May to July.
Serrated lavender. This variety is different small size and frost resistance. Flowers are purple in color. The leaves have a silvery color and are also characterized by jagged edges. Flowering time begins in July and ends in autumn.

Growing lavender at home

To get a healthy plant, several factors must be considered when planting. Let's consider them in detail.

Location selection

Culture grows well in partial shade

Lavender loves good lighting and Fresh air, that's why the best place for her there will be a window sill on the east or west side. The culture should receive light for 8-10 hours every day. If the room in which the lavender is located is dark, a fluorescent lamp is installed for the plant. The room must be well ventilated.

In warm weather, the flower can be moved to the loggia or balcony. But it is not worth leaving it in a new place for a long time. The plant should be trained gradually. On the first day, it is enough to take it out for an hour, on the second - for two. So the duration of the stay of the culture on the balcony increases to a full day.

Important! If lavender is placed near heating appliances, a jar filled with water is placed next to it. This helps to normalize the level of humidity.

Soil preparation for seeds

Lavender loves alkaline soil

Plant growers do not recommend using ordinary soil for growing lavender, because this way the flower does not receive enough oxygen. When watering, compressed soil suffocates root system. The most suitable for lavender is a soil mixture with an alkaline environment. To prepare it, sand and peat are combined in equal proportions, and then a little eggshell is added.

You can use a soil consisting of sand, humus and leafy soil. The components are mixed in the following proportions: 1:2:3. Broadleaf lavender is the most hardy and can grow in slightly acidic soil, but it is better to give preference to an alkaline environment.

Important! The soil needs to be loosened, this will improve air circulation.

Landing instructions

The seeds of this crop require processing that accelerates growth, for which they are placed in the refrigerator for one month. So the planting material gets into natural conditions. After extraction, the seeds are mixed with river sand, sprinkled with water and in this state are placed back in the refrigerator, where they are for another month.

The landing process itself is as follows:

1. For lavender, take a pot or container with a diameter of 30 centimeters and a volume of 1.5 liters.

Preparing a container for planting

2. A layer of drainage is poured on the bottom, which helps to remove excess moisture. For this, expanded clay, bark or walnut shells are used.

3. The holes in the bottom of the container must remain open. This allows air to enter and helps to avoid excessive moisture. Stagnation of liquid in a pot adversely affects the plant.

4. Seeds are placed in the ground for 3 mm and sprinkled with a thin layer of soil.

5. To prevent them from drying out, the container is covered polyethylene film and placed in a well-lit room where the temperature level is between 15°C-18°C.

6. Seedlings appear after 1-1.5 months. If this does not happen, the seedlings are placed for another 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

7. When sprouts are shown, the plastic cover is removed from the pot, and the flowers are transplanted into separate containers.

Sprouted lavender should be transplanted into separate containers

plant care

In order for lavender to remain healthy and to please with beautiful and fragrant flowers, it should be properly looked after.

Watering

In the first month of plant life, it is watered twice a day: in the morning and evening. The soil must be constantly moistened. From the second month, watering is reduced to once a day. Excessive moisture is detrimental to lavender. Only settled water at room temperature is used.

Fertilizer

The first 10 weeks, lavender is fed at intervals of 1 time in 2 weeks. Then the soil is fertilized only during flowering. To do this, you can use the Agricola-Fantasy solution, which is prepared in the proportion: 2 tablespoons of the substance per 10 liters of water. One lavender bush will need 1 liter of liquid. As alternative fit such organic compounds, as "Rossa universal" and "Potassium humate". The preparation of the nutrient mixture takes place with exact proportions: 2 tablespoons of "Rossa" and 1 tablespoon of "Humate" are dissolved in 10 liters of water.

At the beginning of the growing season, the plant is fed with nitrogen fertilizers, which ensure the growth of green mass. These include ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium sulfate. But from the second half of July, these funds are recommended to be excluded. Nitrogen prolongs the growing season, and if you continue to use it, the plant will not prepare for winter.

Lavender does not like over watering.

Important! You can put a layer of compost under the shrub - then the culture will not need additional nutrients.

pruning

Pruning is carried out from the second year of the culture's life and is carried out after the flowering stage in order to prepare the plant for wintering: dried lavender stems are removed, as well as the upper part of the bush. The cut should slightly exceed First level leaf growth. This procedure allows you to give the shrub an aesthetic appearance.

With the onset of spring, lavender is cut again. It is impossible to shorten it to a stiff stem - this will lead to the death of the plant. Be sure to leave 4-5 green shoots.

Transfer

The plant does not tolerate such a procedure very well, so lavender is transplanted only with an earthy clod. Most right time That's what spring is for. The flower can be transplanted in the fall, if you have time before the dormant period. The process itself has the following features:

A pot with a diameter of 15-30 centimeters is selected, depending on the size of the bush.
At its bottom, drainage from expanded clay or small stones is poured.
Then the container is filled with soil mixture. At the same time, its level should not reach the edge of the pot by 1-1.5 centimeters.
The flower is placed in the ground by 2 centimeters, after which it is regularly watered.

Preparing for winter

This period is a time of rest for lavender. In addition to pruning, the following activities are carried out to prepare the plant for wintering:

The frequency of watering is reduced to 1 time per week.
The container with the flower moves to a cool room. Sometimes lavender blooms winter period, but this negatively affects her health.
The growths are removed.

Help keep culture healthy proper care

Possible diseases

Lavender health problems are not common, but some difficulties may arise due to improper care. Consider the most common diseases of lavender:

Abundant watering leads to yellowing of the shoots and rotting of the root system. In this situation, the amount of water must be reduced.
The shrub is attacked by leafhoppers. It is a pest that feeds on plant leaves. The bush should be sprayed twice with a 40% concentration phosphamide emulsion.
Lavender can be threatened by septoria. A suspension of copper oxychloride helps to get rid of this disease: 3-4 grams of the powder are diluted in a liter of water, the flower is sprayed with this composition 2 times with an interval of 15 days.

Important! Lavender more easily tolerates a lack of moisture than its excess.

Question of reproduction

In room conditions, the culture is propagated by seeds and cuttings. In open ground, sprouts can be obtained using layering:

The branch of the plant is laid horizontally.
It is covered with soil, and a load is placed on top.
A few months later, when the culture takes root, the new bush is separated from the mother and planted separately.

The cutting method has the following features:

1. For the procedure, annual shoots are used. Stems 10 centimeters long are cut with a knife, and then moistened in a solution of 0.5% fungicide.

We prepare the cuttings

2. The pot is filled with soil from peat and sand, then recesses of 2.5 centimeters in size are made.

3. Cuttings are placed in the holes and covered with soil.

Planting cuttings in pots

4. The container is covered with polyethylene with ventilation holes.

We wrap in polyethylene until rooting

5. After rooting, the film is removed.

As you can see, growing lavender at home is not difficult at all, even if you are doing it for the first time. Culture must be provided nutrients, water regularly, properly prepare for winter, and fight diseases if they occur. Then it will be possible to enjoy the abundant flowering of lavender for more than one year.

Growing lavender from seeds at home is not difficult if you have space on a south facing windowsill or balcony and a 2 liter pot to start with. It is used and, valuable is extracted from it.

How to grow lavender from seeds

A lavender pot must have good drain and drainage, lavender does not tolerate stagnant water. The soil should be sandy-peat, with an alkaline reaction. You can add to the mixture. You can also add crushed eggshells to slightly alkalize the mixture.

Seeds must pass before planting. During planting, the seeds should be sprinkled with soil 3 mm thick and placed in a bright, cool place, covered with a film until the first shoots. Seed germination is weak, so it makes sense to send 15-20 seeds to the refrigerator.

Pour the seeds onto a damp cotton pad, cover with another wet cotton pad. First sprouting sprout

Before going to the refrigerator, put the wet discs with seeds in a bag. We air every 2-3 days for a couple of minutes. Sprouted lavender. 1 month

Grown up lavender, about 2 months old

When the lavender has grown to six pairs of leaves, you should cut off or pinch the top so that it bushes better. Young plants require mild but regular watering- early in the morning and in the evening, not forgetting to irrigate the green part of the plant. Lavender needs fertilizer.

Light should be at least 10 hours a day - you can help the plant in the evenings or on cloudy days. Make sure that the leaves do not burn from the hot sun.

My lavender falls asleep before wintering.

The first year, the lavender is rather inconspicuous, weakly branching, and in the second year it already blooms. The plant needs to be ventilated, but strong drafts should be avoided.

A year after sowing, the lavender should be cut to 15 cm above the ground, then your bush will be beautiful and thick. You need to prune just after flowering.

In winter, lavender can relax, for example, on glazed balcony. The temperature should not fall below 5 degrees.

Transplant better early autumn or in the spring to give the plant time to establish itself in a new pot before it blooms. Lavender is endowed with extraordinary.

How to grow lavender from seeds at home on a windowsill: 52 comments

Natali Waters
hello)
I wanted to ask, I planted lavender, the seeds germinated well, but now the sprouts are starting to bend and wither (almost a month has passed since planting)
I thought that due to the fact that I didn’t plant it too deep, and they don’t have enough land. Then she poured a little on top to keep them, but they began to die from this even more.
don't tell me what's wrong with them?
maybe move to a warmer place?
Vera
Hello Jane!
Thanks for the detailed information on growing lavender from seeds. Let me ask you about wintering bushes. Should I water them in winter? I read somewhere that you can even put in the cellar ?! True, it was about young bushes grown in the country in pots from cuttings (so that they do not freeze). I brought my bushes (three) to the glazed loggia (t is always not lower than 10 degrees). So now only one of them is left, and that one somehow looks very unimportant - it dries out somehow, although I water it a little .... How do your bushes overwinter and when (in March, April?) do they start to feel better? How much light do they need in winter? Thank you if you answer.
Olga
Girls, write how your lavenders overwintered?

Blagodarna, who pishet o posadke semian lavandochki. Ja chitaju, vnikaju
,budu sazhatj vv fevrale, a poka lezhat na vatnyh diskah konechno vlazhnyh v korobke i v holodilnike.
Spasibo vsem ikonechno, udachi.

Elena
Hello! Thanks for your info and great photos!
I also really want to grow lavender from seeds at home. Only I live in the tropics.
Do you happen to know how to proceed? :) I mean, there is no winter here, the sun is very hot and the humidity is high….
Thank you! I will be very glad to your advice!
Olesya
I just bought some seeds. I don’t have time to stratify, I’ll leave it until the fall. But I just want to plant a few seeds. I don’t understand, should I immediately plant it in a pot where lavender will grow, or can I put a few things in a glass, wait until they hatch, and then transplant it into a pot (spike) ???
Marina
Hello, just recently lavender seeds came to me, please tell me, is there any point in doing something with them now or leaving them, as I understand it, until February?
1. Jane Craft Posted by
  Try to sow several seeds at once in the ground, and leave some in reserve until the next season. But it may take up to 4 weeks to wait for the first shoots.
Natalia
Hello! Could you be more specific about how to prune or pinch off the top of a lavender when it has 6 pairs of leaves? It's just that I bought a pot of seeds for the first time, and indeed I started a plant for the first time. I wouldn't want to hurt him because of my inexperience. Thank you!
Tatiana
Hello, while planting seeds, the soil should be moist and how often (and is it necessary at all) to moisten the soil when the seeds are under the film ?? thanks in advance for your reply
Kristina
Hello!
Tell me, please, how to properly care for lavender in its first winter? This spring I planted lavender in pots, now they are good green sprouts. In what month should it be removed "for the winter"? What is the temperature regime? How often to water? And should it be cut?
Thanks for the reply and post :)
1. Jane Craft Posted by
  Sorry for the delay in answering. First of all, I just have to say that my lavender did not survive the winter. What was the mistake: instead of a cool, but not freezing balcony, I put it in the pantry. Sometimes it is necessary to water - I forgot about it for at least a month and a half. Well, I didn’t wait for her to come to her senses - I watched this cracker for two weeks, the leaves did not appear, and I broke up with her.
  I don’t know if I can now give advice on wintering lavender, but the rules are as follows: by November, lavender will begin to dry out and it must be covered with a bag and put in a dark place with a temperature not lower than 5 degrees and not higher than 15. This is its natural wintering temperature. The soil must not dry out. At the end of February, we put it on the sunny side and wait for the young leaves. You can cut it, even in my first season it started up additional shoots precisely thanks to pinching.
  If I decide on lavender again, then I’ll probably play it safe - I’ll leave some of the shoots on the windowsill, some in the refrigerator (there is one, older than me, in which the temperature and humidity are just right)))).
Kristina
Thank you very much for your replies :)
Irina
Hello, we live in a region where it is hot and dry, all my flowers are in the house in a closed area, but with floor-to-ceiling windows, air conditioning works. It is not very cold in winter. Seeds in the refrigerator for about a month and a half, so I’m thinking what to do - plant now or wait until spring, but probably this is too long a time for stratification ....
Olesya
Hello! I want to turn to you for advice. The idea to plant lavender came to me by chance - I saw the seeds on aliexpress, so I decided to order for the sake of curiosity. In general, I doubted that these were real seeds and did not hope that something would sprout. Therefore, I planted half a package at once in April. No stratification. Almost all the lavender came up, it turned out to be a lot and I had to plant it in one large pot. I didn’t pinch the tops, because I was on the road all summer, and my husband sometimes watered the lavender. Upon my return, I tried to transplant it, but the roots were closely intertwined with each other and they were so thin that I was afraid to damage something and left everything as it was. I cut off the tops a little, but it was too late, it had already stretched out a lot. New shoots are visible from the ground. Now I'm looking at it and I don't know what further actions are needed. It seems to me that it is too crowded in one pot, but I do not dare to transplant. And what to do with thin long stems? They spread like straw all over the pot, lush foliage at the tips, and the stem itself is thin like a toothpick, very long and woody.
Natalia
I found for myself great way planting lavender after failures with stratification. I prepare the ground, water it with very warm, bitter even water, put seeds on top and sprinkle a little bit of earth on top .. Then I put the container in a bag and send it to the battery for 40 minutes. And then just on the windowsill. solid and didn't have to wait long.
Victoria
Hello everybody!
And I planted lavender without stratification. I had a small bouquet of dry. I shook him, got the seeds. Then I cut a pot into a box of 2 liters of juice, as it were. And she sowed, watered and covered the whole thing with a transparent bag. She left for 2 weeks, and when she returned there were already bores. I waited until there were 6 leaves and transplanted into pots. Some bushes did not take root, but now I have three of them. And two are already blooming)
By the way, in winter, I brought them from the balcony and put them on the windowsill and watered them as the earth dried up. More precisely, I let it dry completely and only then watered it a little. Lavender was as if bald, inconspicuous. When the snow melted on the street, I again took it out to the balcony, and also watered it. Now I can not get enough)))
Nara
Hello, in a month of stratification of 2 types (fr and eng) of lavender, the seeds of French lavender (5 pcs) hatched first in 3 days, 3 more pcs and 6 pcs of English. I stratified them in medical bandages at a temperature of +5-7 degrees, ventilated them every two days and sprinkled them with melt water from a pulverizer. Each of the hatched seeds was immediately planted in light soil. Now I'm waiting for the leaves to appear from the ground. But, I'm worried about the seeds, because when I stratified them, I noticed that the seeds of fr. The lavender was exuding something like a jelly on top of the shell of the seeds, and because of this, they did not stick firmly to the bandage. And when I wanted to collect the awakened seeds, the brown shell moved away or remained on the bandage. Please tell me, will lavender grow from these germinated seeds?
Jane Craft did you plant any other spices? It would be even better to chat with you in private messages, is that possible?

Lavender (lat. Lavandula)- a representative of the genus of plants of the family Lamiaceae (Lamiaceae or Labiatae). The name comes from the Greek. "Lava", which means "to wash", is due to the fact that in ancient Greece lavender was added to the baths. Botanists distinguish about 47 varieties this plant. Lavender is native to the Mediterranean. Since lavender has not only a pleasant smell, but also certain medicinal properties, people fell in love with the plant and adapted lavender to life at home, or rather, began growing lavender flowers in pots and flower beds.

Growing lavender at home involves choosing an appropriate place, preparing seeds, and stratifying them. An important feature growing lavender at home is the possibility of applying organic fertilizers.

Growing lavender at home is much easier if you are the proud owner of a summer cottage where lavender can be grown indoors. industrial scale experiment with varieties. At home, everything seems easier, since you can pick up a special container, experiment with the use of drainage. And most importantly: at home, you have the opportunity to plant lavender in a sunny place where it will not need additional growth enhancers.

Many people think that potted lavender is a very whimsical plant and causes a lot of trouble, but this is a myth. It is quite possible to grow lavender from seeds in a pot on your windowsill: the plant itself is unpretentious. On average window sills and flower beds, we can most often find 2 types of lavender: broad-leaved and narrow-leaved. Both of these species germinate and bloom beautifully. We will talk in more detail about the main subtleties and secrets of lavender, about the rules of planting and care in this article.

Did you know? If you live in the North, or closer to the North, then narrow-leaved lavender is your best bet as it is more winter hardy.

In which pot to grow lavender, we select the sizes

The roots of mature plants require a lot of space in order to be able to nourish the flowers and leaves. In order to properly care for and plant lavender, you should first choose the right pot or container, because even if spring, summer and early autumn your flower spends in the open field, then you still want to remove it for the winter (which is not at all necessary, you can just shelter the lavender from the wind) in the right and comfortable "shelter". This plant, from the very embryos, loves large pots and containers.

Important! Even if you are only going to plant lavender, choose medium-sized forms for this.

In order for lavender to receive proper care and planting, you should remember one pattern - the smaller the pot, the less space for nutrition and growth, the smaller the flowers. The container (pot) should be at least 2 liters in volume and about 30 cm in diameter. The pot should have enough holes to drain water, but gravel or drainage should not “close” these holes when planting.

How to choose a place for lavender

Many people believe that lavender is not meant for indoor living, but this is a myth. Yes, lavender requires some special care, but all plants require care! So, the main factor in the quality of your flower will be a place for its "life". Here, the opinions of botanists differ: some believe that lavender feels best in the open field, others - in apartment conditions.

In any case, the best shelter for lavender will be a sunny, wind-sheltered place. If you leave the flower outside for the winter, you can cover it. special attention the soil in which lavender is planted also requires: it is best to use a mixture of peat and sand and remember that the soil must be alkaline.

Did you know? It is better not to plant lavender on the windowsill, where there is a battery, as this will dry it out.

Lavender requires proper care and planting, which is carried out comprehensively throughout the growth and development of the plant. We have already mentioned the need for constant access of sunlight to the leaves and flowers of the plant, so it is best to place a lavender pot with south side. In the summer, lavender is taken out to “walk” on the balcony. But walks should start from an hour, because if you leave the plant in the open air for a long time, it can fade from an excess of oxygen.

Lavender is very thermophilic, but does not like dryness. For winter, it is better to put lavender on the windowsill on the south side (if possible), but a temperature of 10-15 degrees will be optimal. But the temperature regime, lighting and place of growth are not all. In order for lavender to receive proper care and planting, it is also necessary to regularly feed the plant, cut cuttings, replant the flower from time to time and loosen the ground. It is also important to remember about humidifying the air, if you do not have a humidifier, you can use a regular spray bottle and spray the plant with clean water.

Important! If your flower does not have enough light, then for the winter period you can provide it with additional lighting, including a fluorescent lamp next to it.

top dressing

The main thing to remember about lavender is - the plant does not tolerate organic and nitrogen fertilizers. Required drugs for the growth and development of the plant - those that have potassium as the main component in their composition. The first time (8-10 weeks) after sowing seeds / planting seedlings, fertilize the plant once a week with liquid fertilizers, based on the calculation of 2 g (1 plug) of fertilizer per liter of water. An effective fertilizer will be crushed eggshells, which will maintain the balance of alkali in the soil. If your lavender grows in open ground, then it should be fertilized at the beginning of flowering with the same fertilizers (for example, Agricola) and after flowering (any mineral fertilizer) with a calculation of 3 liters per 1 bush.

Features of watering in winter and summer

Lavender only needs to be watered during the dry season, but don't think you need to water your lavender once a week. Of course, the flower will rot from too much watering, but the soil for indoor lavender should always be moist. Water for irrigation should be filtered or settled. If your plant is still young, then you need to water it twice a day: in the morning and in the evening.

Important! You need to water not only the roots, but also upper part plants, so many flower growers recommend making a “rain” for a flower: once a week, take the plant outside (put the pots in the bath) and water the whole plant with a watering can, a thin stream of water. But in this case, you need to be extremely careful not to damage the leaves or color.

On the summer cottages lavender care also depends on correct pruning plants, because if you cut the plant incorrectly, then there will be nothing to care for. Lavender pruning is best done in 3 stages: summer (the most important), autumn and spring pruning.

Let's start with summer pruning. In order to cut the lavender, we need gloves and ordinary gardening scissors. First of all, we cut off those branches that have small sprouts on the sides. We cut to these sprouts, then they will grow into a flower. If the branches of your plant have a tendency to bend, then you need to cut such a branch to the lowest sprout. We also carefully check the plant for the presence of completely dry branches, which also need to be cut. Usually such branches appear due to weather conditions or the age of the plant.

Did you know?Summer pruning allows you to collect the product, namely flowers and leaves, which are most useful during this period.

During autumn pruning lavender, the main task is to cut off all the flowers from the "falling" branches - cut to the bend. You can cut the lavender very short, you can not really, the time of the “rise” of the kidneys in the spring depends on it.

Spring lavender pruning is best done in late March (weather permitting). Spring pruning is more like cleaning, as it is aimed at removing dry, broken, rotten branches. Pruning in the spring is also carried out in order to "model" the shape of the plant.

How to plant lavender at home, plant propagation

A frequently asked question: how to plant lavender at home is as easy as shelling pears! All you need is a seedling, a cutting, seeds, lavender cuttings, soil (container), fertilizer, a shovel, a baking powder for the earth and a little basic knowledge and skills.

With the help of air outlets

The method of propagation of lavender by air layering is best used in cool weather, when soil moisture is highest. When using this method, you do not need to prepare cuttings or buy seeds, you just need to choose the most suitable one on an adult plant. old branch(but alive), cut a flower from it, dig a small hole and bend this branch there, sprinkle it with earth on top, water it every two days and fertilize a little 5-7 days after planting. This method sometimes works without your help: if you look under a bush of a mature flower, you will find a few sprouts there, as a result of self-seeding lavender.

Lavender cuttings

Many inexperienced flower growers immediately take up planting lavender flowers using seedlings. Most make mistakes, because you need to know not only how to plant a lavender seedling, but also how to get it right. For cuttings, you need to take only young, but already lignified annual shoots from a healthy bush. It is necessary to cut off the color from the handle (although it is advisable to choose shoots that have not yet bloomed) and strip the lower leaves by 3-4 centimeters.

For cuttings, we need a medium-sized pot, clay shards, soil (a mixture of turf, leaf and sand in equal quantities) and dry sand. We lay out the shards at the bottom of the pot, then we lay out the moistened sand (for better drainage), then the earth, we tamp. At 1.5 cm, we lay another layer of wet sand on top of the ground. Next, we take the finished cutting, process it with growth stimulants and insert it into the ground with the cleaned side.

For better rooting, “squeeze” the plant from below with two fingers. After that, the seedling needs to be watered. We also create a “tropical effect” for the cutting: at home, we cover it with polyethylene so as not to damage the plant, while in industrial conditions there are special greenhouses and “caps” for this. We leave the stalk for a week in such conditions. If you did everything right, then your stalk will easily take root and grow up to 15 cm in height.

Few think about growing lavender at home due to the "self-breeding" of this crop. When lavender seeds ripen, they fall on the surface of the earth on their own, stratify themselves and multiply. Although if you need the plants to grow in the right place, you still have to work hard. In the absence of such a need, you can simply forget about any worries regarding cultivation.

It is a completely different matter if these beautiful flowers are grown indoors - in this case, not only strength, but also certain knowledge will be required. For example, Southerner lavender grows well from seeds at home, but efforts still need to be made.

Lavender Yuzhanka is a perennial shrub with a fairly large (up to two meters in length) and fibrous root. Shoots are numerous, can reach up to 60 centimeters in height. Inflorescences can have a wide variety of shades - from lilac to blue-violet - and are collected in large spikes.

On a note! Lavender is known primarily for its diuretic effect, moreover, it has a calming effect on frequent heartbeat and neurasthenia.

The culture grows in sunny and protected from the wind places, mainly on light soil, blooms in July-August.

When growing Southern lavender, you must observe certain conditions Let's take a look at them.

If you take into account all these agrotechnical requirements, then without any problems you can grow a crop at home.

Stage one. Stratification

Usually lavender is propagated by cuttings, but if desired, this can also be done with the help of seeds. The second method - although it is slow and not effective in all cases - is good because it is much cheaper than purchasing planted bushes or cuttings, and subject to a number of requirements, it gives the same beautiful plants.

Lavender angustifolia Yuzhanka - seeds

Set for growing plants "Lavender"

What is the main difficulty in growing from seeds? And it lies precisely in stratification. To be more precise, this is not even a difficulty, but the need for additional time for preparation. planting material.

On a note! Stratification refers to the imitation of the impact on seeds of natural winter conditions which makes it easier for the grains to germinate. The procedure increases germination and accelerates germination.

Seed stratification - timing

Lavender seeds are characterized by the fact that they may not germinate at all without first being certain time in the cold. The stratification process is not difficult: take a not very deep container, pour sand into it, and lay the seeds on top. Then sprinkle the seeds with a little more sand and place in the refrigerator (basement) about a month and a half before the expected sowing date. In this case, it is necessary that the temperature during storage be approximately 5 degrees. Actually, this completes the stratification procedure, we proceed to further actions.

Stratification tanks Stratification tanks

Perforation

We take seeds. Preferably soak them in water

Stage two. We prepare everything you need

Immediately before sowing, you need to prepare a container. It should be deep and wide. If you use a pot, then its diameter should be at least 30 centimeters. The fact is that the lavender root eventually grows to a decent size, and if the pot is small, then at one “perfect” moment it will simply stop growing.

Another important point is soil preparation. Lavender Yuzhanka, as noted earlier, when grown, needs only loose soil. You can use a store-bought substrate or, alternatively, mix peat with sand yourself (1: 1 ratio). If you wish, you can further increase fertility by adding eggshells or perlite.

Stage three. Sowing seeds

When sowing, adhere to the following algorithm of actions.

Table. Sowing lavender seeds Yuzhanki

Steps, no.	Short description	illustration
Step 1	Take the prepared container and fill it with soil. It can be not only a pot, but also, for example, a wide container that is not divided into cells, or a seedling tray.
Step 2	Lightly moisten the surface of the soil, then sow the seeds. If using a divided seedling container, then place one grain in each cell. If the container is not divided, then sow the seeds at a distance of 1.2-2.5 centimeters from each other.
Step 3	Sprinkle the seeds with a layer of soil about 0.3 centimeters thick. This is necessary for protection. In this case, the layer should not be too thick, because the seeds need sunlight to germinate.
Step 4	Place the seed container in warm room(The temperature should be about 21 degrees).
Step 5	Lightly water the soil. Humidity should be medium (if you overdo it, a fungus will begin to develop that will destroy all the seeds). It is better to water in the morning so that the soil dries out by the evening.
Step 6	Wait a while, watering the soil regularly. Typically, lavender seeds germinate in two to four weeks.
Step 7	When the first shoots appear, make sure that they receive enough sunlight. If there is no suitable place, provide artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps (seedlings should be illuminated for at least eight hours a day).

Stage four. We perform the first pick

When a few true leaves appear on the sprouts, make the first transplant. The leaves must be "correct", that is, fully developed. At that moment, the roots will grow so much that in a not very deep container (for example, the same seedling tray) they will not be able to develop further.

Prepare containers bigger size and fill them with soil (not the one used for germination, but another - preferably consisting of perlite, peat and earth). If you use a tray, keep in mind that the distance between the plants in it should be about 5 centimeters.

On a note! Never use vermiculite. The fact is that it may contain asbestos, even if the manufacturer does not indicate this on the label.

Add some granular fertilizer containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to the soil. Then make a hole of the desired size in the soil of the new container. Carefully remove the lavender from the old container along with the soil, place it in the hole and compact the surface around (the plant must be well fixed).

The next transplant will be required when the plants reach a minimum height of 7.6 centimeters (this can take from one to three months), and until then, gradually "accustom" the lavender to natural conditions - take the containers to fresh air for several hours every day. After a week, lavender should adapt to new conditions.

Lavender - planting and care

Features of transplanting into open soil

If you plan to transplant plants outdoors, then start by choosing a suitable location. The site should be lit, because in shaded places the soil is damp, which, again, can develop a fungus.

Loosen the area by mixing the soil with compost. Check the pH level: if it is below 6.5-7.5, then add agricultural lime.

Carefully transplant the plants at a distance of 30-60 centimeters from each other. To do this, dig holes with a depth corresponding to the depth of the containers in which the bushes are located. Remove the plants and transplant to a new location.

Rules for the care of lavender Southerner

In order for lavender to develop well at home, it needs constant care and due attention.

Water the plants daily in the morning, using only settled water. When watering, try to get both on the green mass and on the soil. In summer, the soil should always be slightly moist, while in winter it is desirable to minimize watering.
Southern Lavender needs an annual transplant. New containers, of course, must be larger than the old ones.
Containers should be located in a well-lit area. When lighting is poor (eg. winter time) additionally equip artificial lighting, as mentioned above.
When the flowering period ends (approximately in the second half of summer), cut off the lavender - remove the dry stems entirely, and cut the bushes themselves a little.
In winter, the air temperature should be between 15 and 20 degrees, which will allow the plants to develop and provide healthy inflorescences. However, this only applies to the growing season, because the rest of the time, lavender should be kept cool.
Within 35-40 days after sowing, apply liquid flower food (about twice a month). By the way, when growing by cuttings, such fertilizer does not need to be applied.
In some cases, plants experience a moisture deficit due to nearby heating radiators. The problem in this case can be solved either by spraying the bushes, or by using a humidifier.

In principle, these are all tips for growing the described crop and caring for it. If you grow these plants at home, they will delight beautiful flowering and unsurpassed aroma not only in summer, but also in winter. Of course, there is a lot of trouble, but the result is really worth it.

Video - Growing lavender with seeds

Lavender growing on the windowsill or in the flower garden of a personal plot is not only a pleasure from admiring the beautiful flowers of a delicate purple color, but also a pleasure delicate aroma. Planting this plant southern countries available as experienced gardener, and a beginner in this matter, if you familiarize yourself in advance with the features of growing a crop.

Successful cultivation of lavender from seeds depends not only on the quality of the planting material, but also on the composition of the soil, the availability of additional lighting, proper watering and care, and temperature regime premises. Excessive moisture or drying of the soil can lead to the death of the plant, as well as a lack of light. For growing at home, undersized varieties are selected.

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Species and varieties

The genus of this southern plant covers 47 main and 7 additional (hybrids) species. Planting and cultivation of only 28 of them are known, which are distinguished by a high percentage of survival and the presence of useful for humans. essential oils and other substances.

In folk medicine, even fewer types of lavender are used:

serrated;
broad-leaved;
English;
spikelet (medicinal);
narrow-leaved;
hybrid;
southerner.

Toothed and broad-leaved

The leaves are soft, distinguished by a silvery or gray-green hue, the flowers are purple in color. The popular variety of this species includes the purple Royal Crown.

Lavender jagged Royal Crown

Broadleaf is evergreen shrub up to one meter high. Distinguished by lanceolate leaves, gray-blue peduncles. A common variety of this species is Ascension lavender.

Varieties of this type of plant are easily distinguishable:

Tiara with blue large flowers;
mauve Papillon peduncles shaped like butterflies;
dark purple flowers of Regal Splendour.

View: broad-leaved; cultivar: Papillon with butterfly-shaped flowers

English

Otherwise, the plant is called narrow-leaved, the bush grows up to 70 centimeters high. At the base, the semi-shrub is wide, the old branches become stiff and are located closer to the ground, the young branches stand straight.

The young foliage of the plant is gray, the old has green color, blooms from July to late August with dark and blue-violet peduncles.

English lavender

Varieties of this species differ in bright color: Gem - dark purple; Alba - white; Munstead - lilac blue Rosea - pink.

Spikelet or French

Otherwise called French or medicinal lavender. Low semi-shrub with stiff branches of a tetrahedral shape up to 60 centimeters long with sessile grayish foliage. The plant takes root perfectly with a powerful system of branching roots up to two meters long. The French species blooms in the second half of summer.

french lavender

A hybrid of spicate lavender, when removed from seeds, produces seedlings that differ from the parent in the form of leaves and flowers. For the purpose of industrial cultivation of medicinal lavender, cultivation is used with the help of layering or cuttings. Lavender aroma when grown at home will have a beneficial effect on nervous system calming the person.

Lavandin or hybrid dutch

A sterile hybrid based on broadleaf and English lavender. Distinctive features of this species: large inflorescences, narrowed silvery leaves. A bush of Dutch lavender will decorate the backyard as a border on a flower bed, as its height can reach two meters.

Popular varieties of lavandin: Olympia and Arabian Night are characterized by a dark shade of purple petals, pure purple- Grosso, blue tint lilac color characteristic of the variety Seal.

Lavandin

Southerner

Perennial semi-shrub with a fibrous long root, stretching up to two meters. Under favorable growth conditions, it gives numerous shoots with a height of up to 60 centimeters. The flower stalks of the plant attract with a variety of shades from lilac to blue-violet.

Due to the natural ability of a plant to self-breed, its purposeful cultivation is rarely thought about. Ripening seeds are independently distributed over the surface of the earth and carry out stratification. If you need to grow in the right places, you should take care of the lighting, the composition of the soil.

On the resistant stalk of Southern lavender, large spikes bloom, which can decorate both the window sill of the room and the street path to the house or give a pleasant shade to the alpine hill.

Lavender Southerner

Classification of varieties by stem height

The expediency of breeding lavender on the windowsill of the bedroom or on personal plot how the decoration of the porch of the house is determined according to the height of the stems of an adult plant. This factor is decisive for the formation of peduncles, their size. Depending on the level of the stems of the bush, the size of the bud, the density of peduncles is formed.

Varieties of lavender according to the level of bush stems are systematized in the table:

Heightbush	Description and varieties of lavender	Photo of a bright representative
high grades	An excellent decoration of the backyard, especially in the construction of multi-level compositions, can be varieties of lavender Melissa Lilac, Vera and Hidcote Giant	Variety: Melissa Lilac
Middle length	The original shade of the center of the flower bed with a delicate aroma will help create a medium-sized lavender bush - these are the varieties: Beechwood Blue, Man Davis, Buena Vista, Hidcote, Folgate and Pink Perfume
Low (dwarf) varieties	small flowers low plant can look advantageous both on the plot and on the windowsill or be a decoration of the balcony. Undersized varieties: Lady Lavender, Hidcote Superior, Sarah and Little Lottie	Dwarf variety: Lady Lavender

Many florists respect the plant for its resistant stem and beautiful flower stalk. Lavender is a frequent decoration of alpine slides, an element of fencing in flower beds and paths to the house. At right choice containers for breeding, soil and observing simple rules for keeping a plant in an apartment, lavender can be observed as a small lush shrub on the windowsill. The pleasant, light aroma of the plant causes a feeling of calmness, helps to normalize sleep. It is no coincidence that lavender is used as fragrances in perfume compositions, fillers for flavoring linen.

Necessary conditions for growing at home

Its roots love space, so the pot should have a diameter of at least 30 centimeters already at the initial moment. It is better to give preference to an oblong container so that the roots have the opportunity to occupy a territory convenient for themselves during growth. The volume of the container should be at least 2-3 liters. Lavender looks spectacular, planted with several bushes in one oblong container. Failure to comply with the first condition on the size of the container for the plant can lead to nondescript lavender blooms. How less area for root growth, the less nutrition the plant will receive, which means that flowers can grow in sizes much smaller than those that correspond to the description of a particular species and variety.

When choosing a container for growing lavender, you should pay attention to the features of the root system of the plant. Drainage and soil moisture - important factor when breeding. During watering inevitably accumulates excess fluid, to drain it over the entire area of the bottom of the tank, there should be holes in the lower pan. To preserve and distribute moisture in the soil, it is important what material the container is made of. Preference should be given to ceramics without glaze, experts advise to abandon plastic or other synthetic materials. The drainage layer should be sufficient to saturate the roots with liquid - this is a minimum layer of 5-6 centimeters.

The color of the container also matters. If the pot or box has a dark color, then when exposed to sunlight, the material will heat up, which provokes the evaporation of moisture and the drying of the earthen clod. Despite the fact that lavender is classified as a heat-loving plant, excessive heating of the root system negatively affects it, and can even lead to death. Saturated lighting of the southern window sill is the most appropriate place for lavender. A thermophilic plant responds with grateful intensive growth to good diffused natural light and slower growth and flowering problems when there is a lack of light.

It is no coincidence that flower growers attribute lavender to capricious plants. AT summer period for creating favorable conditions the development of the plant, the container is taken out to the balcony or street. In winter, even on the southern windowsill, he will not have enough lighting. For successful growth, you need to take care of the organization artificial lighting. For additional illumination, it is recommended to use phyto- or fluorescent lamps. Thus, daylight hours are extended to 10 or more hours for a particular plant.

The composition of the soil is selected according to the recommendations of experts:

one part sand or gravel;
one part of humus;
two parts of sod or leafy land.

If it is not possible to prepare such a composition, then a land substrate for home flowers is suitable. land with garden plot it cannot be used in its pure form, since watering leads to its compaction. It is permissible to use garden soil as a base, adding sand or gravel and humus to it.

Seed sowing technology

AT living conditions At home, gardeners propagate lavender in one of three ways:

by sowing seeds;
method of rooting a plant by cuttings;
choosing viable layering of mature lavender, ready-made seedlings.

When choosing a second or third breeding method, the gardener must have suitable viable material - cuttings or layering. The most accessible, but difficult way, is considered the first - the removal of lavender from seeds. Subject to simple rules and plant sowing technology, the process is not particularly difficult.

To grow lavender from seeds, it is extremely important to respect the specified dates, as they are characterized by a rapid loss of the ability to germinate. The indicated dates may vary depending on the climate, the proposed months are suitable for growing lavender from seeds in the Moscow region. Based on the given dates, they should be sown in advance and gradually adapt the seedlings to the new environment, which will subsequently become permanent place lavender habitats (windowsill or open ground).

The first shoots when growing lavender from seeds

Step-by-step instructions for sowing seeds for growing lavender:

1. Before sowing the material, it is stratified in the cold for a period of at least 30-40 days. The seeds are spread in thin layers of moistened peat and kept in a cellar or refrigerator at a constant temperature of about plus 5-6 degrees Celsius. To improve germination, they are recommended to be kept in a solution of "Epin" or succinic acid.
2. For sowing prepared seeds, the selected container is filled with drainage by 5-6 centimeters.
3. The next layer of earth according to the composition indicated earlier. It should be uniform in structure, so before sowing it is crushed, kneaded, removing large lumps. In loose soil, it will be easier for seedlings to break through to the surface. After preparing the composition and structure, the soil is recommended to be calcined in the oven at a temperature of 110 degrees. For better seed development, it is recommended to add crushed shells. Before use, the prepared composition is shed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. For better seed development, it is recommended to add crushed shells.
4. Seeds are distributed over the surface, pouring out with folded sheet paper or spread with a toothpick. It is permissible to spread the seeds on a small layer of snow. Deepen them by only 2-3 millimeters.
5. Now the conditions of detention are important: temperature, humidity, lighting. To create comfortable conditions for seed germination, organize additional lighting fluorescent lamp. The container is covered with a film, after planting it is desirable to keep it in a cool but sunny place with a temperature of 15-22 degrees. Water the soil as it dries. If there is moisture accumulated in the pan, it is recommended to drain it.
6. After the appearance of the first shoots, the film is removed, but this is done gradually so that the plant can get used to the drier and colder air of the room: first it is removed for 10 minutes, then for 20 and so on.
7. If the seeds were sown in small seedling pots, then after the appearance of the first 2-3 leaves, each plant is planted in a separate container.

Seedlings, which were obtained at home, are hardy and take root well in the open field, they can be planted in the garden. It is recommended to do this in mid-May, according to the pattern of 30 by 30 centimeters. Before transferring to open ground dachas for half a month spend mineral supplement with the addition of nitrogen and the roots are pruned to naturally stimulate the growth of lavender. If the plant was planted for keeping at home, then for the summer period it is advisable to take it outside or at least to the balcony, then the bush will be evergreen all year round.